Device for making box blanks



Nov. 28, 1939. .R. F. MKORITZ 2,181,197

DEVICE FOR MAKING BOX BLANKS Filed A ril 8; 1939 50 3 31 1 ml 1 46 6 3 52 lg- 12 7 VINV\ENL'OR 27 Ruben EJ/(w'i mum I 5 BY 6 5 /34 38 6 H M7 0/ 57 44 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES DEVICE FQR Box BLANKS Robert F. Moritz, Laurel Springs, N. J., assignor to S'amuel'M. Langston 00., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 8,1939. Serial No. 266,182

i 1: Claims. (01. 164-28) The present invention relates to machines for making box blanks, of the type in which 9, rectangular board or sheet has score lines to provide side panels, and .slots and score lines to 5 form end closure flaps. The invention relates particularly to the means for forming a flap or extension along one edge of one side panel, and adapted to be folded over the edge portion of another panel and be secured thereto to form the tubular body portion of the box.

a 'As the securing is ordinarily eflected by wire staples, and is commonly referred to as stitching, the flap will be referred to hereinafter as the stitch flap, although this does not imply any particular method of securing it to the panel at the opposite side of the blank.

One object of the present invention'is to provide a new and improved attachment, adapted to be adjustably secured to a rotary slitter head, for

20 cutting the ends of thestitch flap to make it of the proper length in respect to the length of the panels.

Another object is to provide a slitter attachment of the general type above referred to, having 1 25 new and improved means for quickly and simply adjusting the effective depth of the cutting blade and for clamping it in adjusted position.

Various other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following par- 30 ti'cular description, and from an inspection of the accompanying drawing, in which:

- Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective of a mechanism for slotting and slitting an advancing sheet to form a box blank. and shows the slitter 35 head,with stitch flap cutting attachments embodying the present invention,

' Fig. 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale through one of the stitch flap attachments at right angles to the axis of the slitter head,

Fig. 3 is a radial'section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the main section of the knife holder,

i Fig. 5 is a perspective of the clamping section of 45 the knife holder,

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the cam member for adjusting thecutting blade-radially and holding it against inward movement, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of'a box blank with a 50 stitch flap formed by the mechanism of the present invention.

The machine illustrated is adapted to form a corrugated box blank shown in Fig. '7 with a series of longitudinally extending score lines ill,

55 along which the body of the blank may be folded to form the four sides of the .box, slots extending longitudinally from the ends of said score lines l0 and co-acting with transverse score a lines l2 to define the end closure flaps of the box.

The blank has the stitch flap l3 on one side of the" 5 blank adapted to be stitched to a panel 14 on the opposite s'idelof said blank; to hold said blank in tubular folded position.

A 'box blank machine of the general type to which the present improvements may be applied is shown in Patents Nos. 1,850,800 and 2,117,220.

The slotting mechanism includes a series of axially spaced upper slotting heads l5, only one being shown, cooperating respectively with lower slotting heads i6; and splined to an upper shaft 15 I1. Each of these upper slotting heads i 5 carries circumferentially spaced slotting blades l8, for forming the slots II as theblank A is advanced as shown in Fig. 1.

At one end of the series of slotting heads I 5, there is provided a rotary slitting-or trimming mechanism, which'may be used for trimming the entire side of the blank A along a straight line, to form the type of box blank in which the straight sides are held in butting "relationship by an adhesive strip, or which may be easily and readily converted to form the stitch flap l3 on one side of theblank. .For that purpose, there vis provided an upper slitter head 20, splined to the upper shaft I'l for axial adjustment there- I along, and cooperating with a lower slitter head .l9. This'slitter head 20 has a hub 2| of large diameter, and a circumferential flange 22 extending radially outwardly therefrom. For forming the stitch flap, a pair of circumferentially 5 spaced arcuate slitting blades 28 are seated on an annular shoulder 24 on the outer side of the flange 22, and detachably secured to the latter by suitable bolts 25 passing through slots .26 in said flange. These blades 23 are adapted to make the side cuts 21, which extend from opposite ends 1 of the flap l3 lengthwise of the blank. The blades 23 are adjustable on the head 20, so that their circumferential spacing conforms with the desired length of the flap l3. The accuracy of'the adjustmentis facilitated by'a graduated tape 28 in a peripheral g oove of the. flange 22. When no stitch flap isdesired, the blades 23 may bereplaced by a pair, each extending half-way around the hub, so as to trim the blank to present a straight edge.

When the stitch flap is to be formed, there. are provided two attachments 30 and 30a for making the transverse end cuts 3| at the ends of the flap l3. They may be-similar, but pref- 'erably they are reversely constructed as shown in Fig. 1, to permit them to be adjusted closer together'as will be made more apparent hereinafter.

The attachment 3!! shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 comprises a holder 34, for holding a score knife 35 transversely of and in close proximity to a corresponding arcuate knife 23, said holder having a base 36 presenting a curved surface 31, for seating engagement with the periphery of the hub 2| at one side of the shoulder 24. Means are provided for securing the holder in circumferentially adjusted position. In the specific form shown, said means comprises a circular base flange 38, extending circumferentially from one side of said holder, and receiving a radial clamping bolt 40, having a curved head 41 slidably retain said cam member in the socket 48 against axial displacement, the cam member 58 is provided with a sector-shaped bolt receiving slot 6! of about 270, extending transversely therethrough, leaving unslotteda sector-shaped piece 62 of about 90 in the central quadrant of the cylindrical surfaced section of the cam member.

and diametrically opposite the cam surfaced section. Threaded into a hole 63 of the holder section 46 is a clamping bolt '54, passing loosely retained in a "T-shaped circumferential groove 1 42 m the hub 2|. For guiding the holder 34 during circumferential adjusting movement, and for holding said holder, against movement axially of the slitter head 20, said holder is desirably provided with a ridge or rib 44, extending inwardly from the base of said holder into the narrow or neck portion of the groove 42.

The holder 34 carries cam means forradially adjusting the knife 35, and means for clamping the knife and the cam means in adjusted positherefrom and defining with said body portion tion. For that purpose, the holder 34 is in the form of a bearing block, having a main body section 4'6 and a clamping section 41, separable a cylindrical socket 48. As shown, this main holder section 46 presents slightly more than one half of the circumference of the cylindrical socket 48, while the clamping member 41 presents the remainder of said circumference. The two holder sections'45 and 41 present opposed substantially radial faces 58 and respectively at their radially outer ends, between whichthe knife 35 is held, and opposed faces 52 and 53 respectively at their other ends substantially at right angles to said radial faces. The two separateholder sections 46 and 41 are desirably made first as one integral piece, and thensplit by a islne saw-cut at the face sections 58- -5l and The means for radially adjusting the knife 35 comprises a rotary cam member 55, journalledin-the socket 48, and having a circular or cylindrical periphery 51 desirably of about 2'70 conforming with the curvature of said socket, and a cam periphery 58 of substantially spiral form along the remainder of the circumference of said member, with the high side of said periphery merging into said circular periphery. This camperiphery 58 supports the knife 35.

' For turning the cam member 55 in its bearin socket 48, said member. is provided atone end with "a head 68, which projects outwardly beyond the sides of the holder 34, and which is desirably of polygonal shape to receive a suitable turning tool such as a wrench. As the cam member 58 is rotated clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2, the cam surface 58 thereof pushes the blade radially outwardly, until a knife section of desired depth in accordancewith the thickness of the corrugated blank extends beyond the knife holder, so that the edge will be exactly or practically in contact with. the hard surface of the lower head i8 at the .time of cutting. f

For 'moving the clamping member 41 against the cam member 58, to'hold said cam member against rotation in. adjusted pofltion, and 'to the radially inner edge of and while the bolt 64 is in position but loosened. 0

When the cam member 55 has been rotated to selective adjusted position, the clamping bolt 54 is turned to move the member 41 into clamping engagement with the circular periphery 51 of said cam member.

, By using reverse flap attachments 38 and a. with the base flanges 38 extending in opposite directions, said attachments can be adjusted to close proximity with their unflanged or shorter sides touching, thereby affording a wide range of adjustment in the length of the flaps.

The holders 30 and 30a are so arranged on, the slitter head 28, that the knives extend from or near the circumferential opposed ends of the arcuate blades 23. During the operation of the machine, the blade 23'shown in Fig. 1 in the lower section of the slitter head. 20 will make.

down on the advanced blank to make the transverse cut'3l defining the rear end of the flap I3.

The arcuate knife 23 shown in the upper part of the slitter head 20 will then make the cut 21 on the rear end of the advancing blank, so that the operation of forming the flap l3 will be complete. V

The blades 35 may be easily removed for sharpening by merely loosening but not removing the bolt 84. The adjustment by rotation of the cam v member may be to take care of wear on the blade, the use of blades of different width, to-

take care of upper and lower heads, and the use of lower heads of different diameter. The same bolt 54 which clamps the blade also clamps the cam member. Adjustment of the circumferentlal spacing of the blades does not disturb the radial adjustment. Preferably the heads of the bolts 54, the nuts of the bolts 48 and the heads 50 on the cam members are all of the same size and shape, so that the 'same socket wrench may beused on all.

When it is desired to make a straight out across the entire side of theblank, the attachments 30 and 30a are removed, and the two arcuate knives 23 replaced by a single circular knife.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made having a socket, a cam member rotatable in said description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device adapted to be secured to a slitter head, for making the end cuts of a flap extension on one sideof an advancing box blank, comprising a knife, a holder for said knife, a member carried by said holder, rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of said head, and having a surface for supporting said knife in various adjusted positions, and means for simultaneously clamping said knife in adjusted positionand clamping said member against rotation.

2. A device for making transverse cuts in an advancing box blank, comprising a knife'holder having a socket, a cam member rotatable in said socket, a knife in said holder bearing on the cam surface of said member, whereby rotary position of said cam member determines the radial position of said knife, and means for clamping :said knife in adjusted position.

3. A device for making transverse cuts in an advancing box blank, comprising a knife holder socket, a knife in said holding member bearing on the cam surface of said member, and means for simultaneously clamping said knife ,in adjusted position and said cam member against rotation.

4. A device for making transverse cuts in an advancing box blank, comprising a knife holder having a pair. of relatively slidable sections conjointly defining a socket, a cam member rotatable in said socket, a knife in said holder between said sections and bearing upon said cam member, and means for clamping one of said sections against said knife to hold said knife in adjusted position.

5. Adevice adapted to be mountedon a rotary slitter head, for making theend cuts of a flap extension on one side of an advancing box blank,

comprising a knife holder having a pair of relatively slidable sections defining therebetween a cylindrical socket, a cam member rotatable in said socket, and having a cylindricalsurface along a portion of its periphery conforming with the periphery of said socket, and a camsurface cam member in adjusted position.

6. A rotary device for making transverse cuts in an advancing blank, including a knife holder having a main body section and a knife clamping section movable towards and away from said main body section, and conjointly defining asocket, a bolt extending transversely through said socketfor holding said section against relative movement, a cam member rotatable in said socket, and having a slot for-receiving the portion of said bolt extending through said socket,

. to permit limited rotation of said cam member in said socket, and a knife between said sections and bearing on the cam surface of said cam member.

'7. A device adapted to be mounted on a rotary slitter head, for making the end cuts'of a flap extension on one side of an advancing box blank, comprising a knife holder presenting a socket, and split along two planes substantially at right angles to each other to form twoseparable sections, each defining part of the peripheral wall of said socket, a knife in one of the splits between said sections, a rotatable member in said socket for adjusting said knife cutwardly from said sections,and means for clamping said sections together and against both said rotatable member and said knife.

8. A device adapted to be mounted on a rotary slitter head, for making the end cuts of a flap extension on one side of an advancing box blank, including a head, an arcuate knife secured thereto and adjustable circumferentially thereof, a second knife extending axially of the head, a holder for said last mentioned knife and adjustable circumferentially of said head, a cam for adjusting said last mentioned knife ina radial plane, a clamp for holding the knife in adjusted position, and a member for locking both the blade and the cam in selected position in respect to the holder.

9. A device adapted to be mounted on a rotary slitter head, for making the end cuts of a flap extension. on'one side of an advancing box blank, including a head, a knife extending axially of the head, a holder for said knife and adjustable circumferentially of said head, a cam for adjusting said knife in'a radial plane, a'clamp for holding the knife in adjusted position, and a member for locking both the blade and the cam in selected position in respect to the holder.

10. A device for making transverse cuts in'an advancing box blank, comprising a knife holder presenting a socket, and split along two planes substantially at right angles to each other to form two separable sections, a knife in one of the splits between said sections, a member in said socket for adjusting said knife outwardly from said holder,.and means passing, through said socket for holding said sections together against said knife.

11. A device for making transverse cuts in an advancing box blank, including a knife holder comprising two relatively movable sections, one

of, which has an inner curved surface bounding a socket, a knife between said sections, a rotatable member in said socket for adjusting said knife outwardly from said holder, and having a curved surface substantially conforming with and engaging said first mentioned surface, and

. means for clamping both said adjusting member and said knife between said sections.

12. A device for making transverse cutsin' an advancing'box blank, comprising a knife holder having a socket, a knife in said holder, a cam member rotatable in said socket for adjusting said knife outwardly from said holder, and means forlclamping said knife in adjusted position.-

ROBERT F LMORI'IZ. 

